The National Anthem
The National Anthem is the first episode of Black Mirror. It was written by Charlie Brooker and originally aired on 4 December 2011. Plot Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear) faces a huge and shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, Duchess of Beaumont (Lydia Wilson), a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped. For her safe return, the Prime Minister must have live sexual intercourse with a pig, broadcast on national television every network, with a list of technical specifications designed to make it impossible to fake. Callow adamantly opposes fulfilling the demand, and does all possible to catch the kidnapper before the deadline. Callow also demands the news not reach the public; however the ransom video has been posted on YouTube and, despite having only been up for nine minutes, has already been viewed and downloaded by many thousand members of the British public. Although the UK's media initially agrees via a D-Notice not to report the story, it soon reaches foreign news networks, which immediately report. After this, the UK media follow suit, sanitising certain details. The public's response is initially one of sympathy towards Callow, and the majority do not expect him to go through with the demand. Twitter wags christen the incident hashtag #Snoutrage. When the British government first receives the video, the Home Secretary, Alex Cairns (Lindsay Duncan) attempts to manufacture fake footage to broadcast (via using highly sophisticated technology to superimpose the PM's head onto porn star Rod Senseless, who would perform in his stead). The kidnapper discovers the ploy, and sends Princess Susannah's finger to a UK news station as a response. The story is outed, and public opinion turns sharply against Callow; a majority now demand he follows through with the kidnapper's ransom. His wife Jane (Anna Wilson-Jones) begs him not to go through with it. This drives Callow to order an immediate rescue operation on the building where they believe Susannah is being held, forgoing the recommended observation period. The building is revealed to be a decoy and a reporter is injured during the operation. Callow loses even more support. Callow is informed that his party, the public, and the royal family are demanding he fulfils the ransom demand and neither he nor his family will have protection from repercussions if he refuses. An announcement is made on TV what is about to happen, and a noise is emitted to induce vomiting is played, to discourage viewing. Callow is given Drugs and advice before entering the room. He sees the pig and asks for forgiveness for what he is about to do. Callow has sex with the pig in front of a live global audience, who, despite their empathy and disgust, compel themselves to 'witness history'. The Princess is discovered unharmed in the streets, the finger having belonged to the kidnapper. It is revealed that she was released before the deadline, unnoticed, as everyone was distracted by the broadcast. It emerges that Turner Prize winner Carlton Bloom planned the events, intending to make an artistic point by showing events of significance slipped under the noses of the public and the government as they were "elsewhere, watching screens" and not paying attention to the real world. Bloom commits suicide as the broadcast airs, and it is decided that the early release will not be revealed to anyone, including Callow. Cairns tells Callow, who is vomiting after his ordeal, that the princess is safe. A year after the broadcast, Callow's political image is better than intact, having gained greater public approval due to his willingness to sacrifice his dignity (or the public's forgetfulness). Princess Susannah has recovered from the kidnapping and is expecting a child, while the public at large knows of Bloom's organising of the affair and have for the most part moved on from the incident. While Callow's reputation has been raised in the eyes of the public, it is implied that his relationship with Jane has not survived the ordeal—a year after the incident, although she makes public appearances with him, she is entirely cold to him in private. Cast *Rory Kinnear - Michael Callow *Lindsay Duncan - Alex Cairns *Donald Sumpter - Julian Hereford *Tom Goodman-Hill - Tom Blice *Anna Wilson-Jones - Jane Callow *Lydia Wilson – Princess Susannah *Chetna Pandya - Malaika *Patrick Kennedy - Section Chief Walker *Alastair Mackenzie - Martin *Alex Macqueen - Special Agent Callett *Jay Simpson - Rod Senseless *Helen Fospero - Lucinda Towne *Sophie Kennedy Clark - Lauren *Andrew Knott - Brian *Allen Leech - Pike *Sophie Wu - Jamie *Rakie Ayola - Shelly *Justin Edwards - Jon *Jeany Spark - Camilla *Jonathan Forbes - Browne *Shazad Latif - Mehdi Raboud Trivia * Charlie Brooker stated in an interview that he went "all through the farmyard" deciding what animal Callow would have sex with and even briefly considered a block of cheese. * This episode became the subject of discussion when, in September 2015, then-current Prime Minister David Cameron was alleged to have placed his penis into the mouth of a dead pig as part of a university initiation rite (with even some of the hashtags seen in this episode being used). * Deleted scenes from this episode included one where Callow has a brief conversation with Rod Senseless while on his way to fulfill the ransom (which was removed from an early draft of the script) and one where Malaika was in hospital unable to see the broadcast as her bed was not near a TV and everyone was too busy watching to help her (Charlie Brooker noted he was unsure if this was ever filmed). Category:Season 1 Episodes Category:Episodes Category:The National Anthem